


Like a Demon

by TheEigthPillarGeneral



Series: Black Moon [12]
Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe - Rock Band, Concerts, Family Issues, Finger Sucking, M/M, Masturbation, Romance, Visual Kei
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-18
Updated: 2018-05-18
Packaged: 2019-05-08 16:41:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14698197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheEigthPillarGeneral/pseuds/TheEigthPillarGeneral
Summary: Renji and Byakuya go on their first date to a Tres Bestias concert. But in between that, Byakuya is confronted by his aunt and uncle, who are less than pleased with his recent activities.





	Like a Demon

**Author's Note:**

  * For [junko](https://archiveofourown.org/users/junko/gifts), [Josey (cestus)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cestus/gifts).



> Our boys go on their first date here, and Halibel and the Tres Bestias make a cameo here! I hope you enjoy!

Before anyone realized, May had ended and it was already the first day of June. While Renji continued his own work with his band, Byakuya prepared a recording studio in his apartment for his own songs. He’d gone out and bought all the equipment needed after doing research for what he would need. Since he already had his own computer, Byakuya had gotten the audio interface, microphones, headphones, studio monitors, and everything else.

Byakuya looked around his homemade recording studio, feeling somewhat proud of himself. He’d spent some time setting up all the equipment he’d bought, with Rukia’s help, of course.

Rukia herself was equally happy for Byakuya.

“You’re really serious about becoming a singer again?” she asked.

“Yes, I am,” Byakuya said. “I want to share my music with the world, regardless of what the family says. And besides, I know this is what Hisana would’ve wanted for me.”

“And Renji,” Rukia added, her eyes glinting mischievously.

Byakuya looked at her in surprise. “How’d you-”

“You’re always happier when you’re around Renji,” Rukia pointed out, smiling. “You like him, don’t you?”

A wistful smile crossed Byakuya’s face. “Yes, I like him,” he said. “He’s very passionate and caring, and he helped me rekindle my interest in becoming an artist. If it wasn’t for him, I would’ve never gotten this motivation to start up again.”

“But make sure you’re careful,” Rukia reminded. “We wouldn’t want the media learning about this, wouldn’t we?”

“No,” Byakuya agreed. “Believe me, I don’t want to ruin Renji’s career. Not like how Hisana’s career was destroyed.”

“You didn’t destroy Hisana-nee’s career, Nii-sama,” Rukia said gently. “She had a right to fall in love with you, and you had a right to fall in love with her. It’s the way the industry works that’s to blame.”

Despite reassurances like this, Byakuya couldn’t really stop blaming himself for the circumstances that ruined Hisana’s career. Then again, considering the fallout that had happened among the family, it really was no wonder that Byakuya’s first instinct was to blame himself.

Rukia had never really liked a good majority of her brother-in-law’s family, honestly. They were very judgemental of people who didn’t suit their standards, but even more, she hated how they’d treated Byakuya. Everytime Byakuya was hurt by them, he wasn’t even allowed to be upset. He’d been expected to rugsweep and apologize for making _them_ upset. Rukia remembered how Byakuya had finally cracked during their ‘intervention’; that had probably been the first time she’d seen him lose his temper. In her opinion, that had been satisfying to watch.

Byakuya had shouted at his uncle, aunt, and grandmother, telling them that he was sick of their constant judgements and how they’d already disowned him the moment they made Hisana cry. He pointed out how they’d never been supportive of anything he’d liked and that he was done being their puppet, that he was a grown adult and he was not going to let himself be controlled anymore.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the doorbell ringing. “I’ll get it,” she told Byakuya. “You should get started on your recording.”

Heading to the main room, Rukia answered the door only to stop in shock when she saw Kuchiki Kouga, her uncle-in-law, and his wife Izumi.

“Uncle… Auntie…” she whispered, taking in their stern expressions. “What is it?”

“Where’s Byakuya?” Izumi asked coldly.

Rukia frowned. “What do you want with him?” she asked defensively. She did not want these two around Byakuya at all.

Much to her dismay, Byakuya emerged from the room he’d turned into a recording studio. “Rukia, who-” He stopped in his tracks upon seeing his uncle and aunt.

Despite his shock, Byakuya managed to maintain an indifferent expression upon his face. “Uncle, Auntie,” he greeted coolly. “What brings you two here?”

Kouga and Izumi pushed past Rukia, entering the apartment. That was when they noticed the room he’d emerged from and all the recording equipment within. It didn’t take much for them to put two and two together.

“What is this, Byakuya?” Izumi asked, her voice dangerously low as she held up some photos of Byakuya dressed up in the velvet suit, makeup on his face, from Shinji’s birthday party. “We were reading through the news and saw a photo of you at the party of Hirako Shinji dressed up in… this. Dressing up like a woman and turning your home into a recording studio… is this why you missed your grandmother’s birthday? To shame us by dressing up and acting like a whore?”

Kouga frowned darkly. “I believe we made our opinion on you being an artist clear enough,” he said sternly. “And you’re still going behind our backs to become one? And to top it off, you start wearing makeup and dressing up like a bitch?”

“I’m a grown man, Uncle,” Byakuya said coolly. “I’m perfectly capable of being whatever I want, and that means I can be an artist if I want to. And yes, I can dress however I want.”

“I see,” Izumi said, her eyes alight with anger. “First you marry that idol, and now look at what’s happened to you. You’ve clearly become corrupted if you think you can start wearing makeup and dressing up like a whore.”

Byakuya flinched internally. This was a new low for them to sink to. Calling him a whore for wearing a velvet suit and makeup? He shouldn’t be so surprised.

“This is why you came all the way here? To yell at me for wearing clothes I like?” he asked. “If you’re trying to make me stop being an artist, give up. From now on, all your opinions will be disregarded.”

Before Byakuya could even react, Kouga had strode over to him so fast, he didn’t see the raised hand until it was too late. His hand cracked across Byakuya’s face, making his head snap to the right from the force. Byakuya blinked slowly, his left cheek beginning to sting as he slowly brought his hand to his face, stunned at what just happened.

“Don’t talk smart with us, Byakuya,” Kouga threatened. “You’d best stop this nonsense or the consequences will be harsh.”

Rukia stood, shocked speechless, as Kouga and Izumi left as quickly as they’d come. When the door slammed shut, she was snapped out of her stupor.

“Nii-sama!” She rushed over to him, concerned. “Are you alright?”

Byakuya shook his head, a wry chuckle escaping his lips. “As always, my uncle has a hard swing,” he murmured. “Can you get me some ice, Rukia?”

“Y-Yes!” Rukia rushed to the kitchen to get an ice pack from the freezer while Byakuya slowly sat down upon the sofa. Rukia approached him and Byakuya gratefully accepted the ice pack from her, gingerly pressing it against his cheek.

Rukia sat down next to him. “I’m so sorry, Nii-sama,” she said. “I should’ve told them to leave immediately.”

“Don’t blame yourself,” Byakuya said. “Neither of us expected them.”

“How could they call you a whore for wearing makeup?” Rukia asked, disgusted. “I can’t believe them!”

“I’m not too surprised, honestly,” Byakuya said simply. He removed the ice pack from his cheek. “Will this leave a bruise, Rukia?”

Byakuya’s cheek was still red, Rukia noticed. She shook her head.

“I don’t think it will,” she said.

Byakuya sighed, feeling dejected and upset. Picking up his phone, he sent a text to Renji, letting him know that he was coming by his apartment. He was in need of some tender loving care.

* * *

Renji had just finished his workout when he’d received the text from Byakuya. While he did look forward to seeing Byakuya, he was a little surprised. He thought that Byakuya was going to be setting up his home recording studio today. He’d even helped him buy all the equipment needed.

Having cleaned himself and changed into jeans and a black Zaraki Kenpachi T-shirt, Renji was reading through the fifth volume of _Hell Verse_ when he heard the knock on his door. Getting up, he went to the genkan and opened the door, welcoming Byakuya.

“How are you?” he asked, watching as Byakuya removed his shoes.

Byakuya shook his head. “Not too good, really,” he admitted. “I… need some tender loving care.”

Renji smiled slightly, even though he was worried. “Well, you don’t need to ask me for hugs,” he said gently. “I’m always happy to give hugs.”

Byakuya followed Renji to the small main room and sat upon the plush couch. The TV had been turned on to some music channel, as it was playing through numerous music videos, though the volume was relatively low. Renji’s apartment was relatively tidy, though there were a few things laying around. On the coffee table, Byakuya saw a volume of Aikawa Love’s _Hell Verse_ along with an open magazine.

When Renji sat down on the couch, Byakuya instantly leaned into him, resting his head upon his chest. Renji was startled slightly, but he wrapped an arm around Byakuya’s shoulders. “Oi, you,” he murmured. “What happened?”

Whatever happened to Byakuya must’ve really upset him if it was making him act affectionate like this. He gently rubbed Byakuya’s shoulder, asking him, “wanna talk about it?”

“My uncle and aunt stopped by,” Byakuya said. “They had a photo of me from Hirako’s birthday party, and they weren’t too pleased about it. My uncle, he… he slapped me for, in his words, ‘dressing like a whore’.”

Renji’s hand froze as the words registered in his head. “Your uncle slapped you?” he asked lowly. “For what, wearing makeup and a velvet suit?”

Byakuya nodded and Renji instinctively pulled him closer, his embrace becoming protective. “That’s messed up,” Renji muttered.

Despite Renji’s words, Byakuya still felt rather upset. “Tell me Renji,” he said. “Did… Did I look like a… a whore?”

“What?” Renji’s voice was angry. Just what the hell had Byakuya’s uncle been telling him all this time? How long had Byakuya been insecure about himself?

“Look at me, Byakuya,” he said firmly.

Byakuya tentatively looked up into fierce, yet soft brown eyes.

“Your uncle is so wrong,” Renji told him, his voice firm yet gentle. “Just because you wore makeup and clothes that are a bit more feminine doesn’t mean you’re a whore, got it? Your uncle’s an asshole, that’s all he is.”

He lightly caressed Byakuya’s face, noticing a red mark on his cheek. Slowly, Renji leaned closer and pressed his lips upon Byakuya’s cheek, planting a gentle kiss there. Such tenderness made Byakuya close his eyes and sigh softly.

“He and my aunt also threatened me, telling me to stop my plans of being a musician or else the consequences would be harsh,” Byakuya recalled.

Again, Renji held Byakuya close to him, his embrace tightening protectively. “Well, if they want to hurt you, they’ll have to get past me first,” he swore. “I won’t let them lay another hand on you again, Byakuya. And believe me, I doubt they’ll be able to do much. People like them, they’re all bark and no bite.” He gently planted a kiss upon Byakuya’s forehead.

“You can’t let them win,” he told him seriously.

Byakuya smiled softly. “You’re right,” he murmured. “I won’t let their threats get to me.”

“That’s the spirit,” Renji said, smiling slightly.

As Byakuya leaned into the embrace, he continued speaking. “You’re one of the few people who has encouraged me to defy the expectations placed upon me, Renji,” he said. “For so long, people have been telling me to appease my family, my own happiness be damned. But you’re more concerned for my own peace of mind, my own dreams. That… That means a lot to me, Renji.”

“No need to thank me,” Renji said softly.

Renji couldn’t imagine growing up in a rich family like Byakuya. To have so many expectations placed upon his shoulders and receive no support for things that made him happy… it sounded like torture. Growing up, Renji had received much more encouragement from the people around him, especially in regards to his dreams of becoming a rockstar. Hell, no one judged what you did in his environment, so long as it wasn’t hurting anyone else. But Byakuya was judged, criticized, and scolded for having even a little bit of fanciful wishes. And nothing pissed off Renji more than adults crushing young people’s dreams.

Sure, growing up poor sucked. But if he had to choose between growing up in poverty, albeit with more supportive people, or in stifling wealth with people who judged him for everything they didn’t approve of, Renji would gladly choose poverty with supportive people.

Caressing Byakuya’s cheek again, Renji kissed his forehead. “Does it hurt?” he asked.

“A little bit,” Byakuya said. “My uncle always had a hard swing. But it doesn’t hurt as much right now.” He glanced up. “If my uncle and aunt show up again, how would you handle them?”

He was honestly curious to hear how Renji would take care of them.

Renji chuckled sheepishly. “Well, there’s no guarantee that I won’t lose my temper, but I’ll do my best not to punch your uncle in the face,” he said, making Byakuya smile slightly.

Renji was warm, and Byakuya liked it. Being held by such strong arms in such a protective, loving embrace… it filled him with a sense of comfort and peace. And his smoky fragrance of sandalwood and clove incense just soothed Byakuya even further. Without thinking, Byakuya moved his hands to Renji’s hair, which was flowing freely, and began stroking the loose strands.

“Your hair’s so beautiful,” Byakuya said softly. “I still can’t believe people would think that you’re a punk simply because of your hair.”

“Well, it’s also because of the tattoos,” Renji said, chuckling. “But thanks.”

“The first time I saw you on the stage, with your hair falling freely like this, you don’t know just how amazing you were,” Byakuya continued. “Really, watching you was mesmerizing.”

Renji blushed. “To be honest, I never intended to go shirtless and have my hair down,” he admitted. “I didn’t want to hog all the attention, so I was going to just wear a shirt and have my hair up. But Yumichika convinced me to let my hair loose and go shirtless… and so did Yoruichi-san and the rest of the band. They claimed that it was a crime to cover up such ‘gorgeous’ tattoos.”

“And they’re right,” Byakuya told him. “I’m glad they convinced you to go shirtless. Your tattoos are beautiful.”

Once more, Renji blushed. People had called his tattoos various things: gorgeous, hot, sexy, badass, hardcore, but never beautiful. “Thank you,” he murmured. “You like tattoos?”

“I’ve always found them beautiful,” Byakuya said. “My family, of course, hated them because they believed that only Yakuza men got them. But I’ll admit, I’ve always appreciated them, especially certain designs. Can you tell me the story behind yours?”

Renji thought for a moment. “You heard of the nue?” he asked.

“The nue?” Byakuya repeated.

“It’s a youkai,” Renji explained. “It’s said to have the face of a monkey, the body of a tanuki, the legs of a tiger, and the front half of a snake for the tail. It’s a pretty badass-looking youkai, honestly _._ I saw a few pictures of it in middle school in some old book about Japanese mythology, and I kinda started designing these patterns based on it. I then began getting the tattoos for every accomplishment in my career as a musician.”

Byakuya was surprised. “I didn’t know you based them off a youkai,” he said. “And what kind of accomplishments?”

“Mainly the big achievements,” Renji said. “I got my first ones for learning to play the guitar, and then I just kept adding to them after major things, like going to my first concert, joining my first band, meeting Zaraki Kenpachi, things like that.”

So, Renji knew a little bit about Japanese mythology as well? How interesting. But Byakuya had to admit, he was more than a little curious about something. Just how far down did those tattoos go? Though, that question seemed a little too intimate to ask, and he wasn’t sure just how Renji would react to such a personal question.

“Did they hurt? Getting them?” Byakuya asked.

“I’ll be honest with you,” he began. “Some places hurt more, especially places where the bones are closer to the skin. The ones on my forehead hurt like hell, and so did the ones near my rib cage, my back, the ones on the sides of my calf, and other places like that. But it was definitely worth it.”

Byakuya smiled. “What kind of tattoo do you think would look good on me?” he asked. “I’m curious.”

“Well, it depends on what you want, actually,” Renji told him. “But with you, something small would look nice. Like kanji characters, flowers, or even a saying that you like.” He smiled. “What, you wanna get a tattoo? To try and piss off your family into leaving you alone?”

“I’m just thinking about it,” Byakuya said. “I’m trying to figure out which one will look good and incite the least amount of rage from my family.” He chuckled. “But now that you’ve said it, maybe I should get one for that reason.”

Renji laughed. “Then in that case, get a tramp stamp,” he teased. “Nothing pisses off people more than that.”

Byakuya couldn’t help but laugh at that. It was as if that nasty confrontation with his uncle and aunt never happened at all.

* * *

The eve of the Tres Bestias concert had come and Byakuya had to admit, he was looking forward to it. He hadn’t gotten ready yet, since there was only an hour and a half before Renji arrived, so he was reading through the June issue of _Cure._ Well, more than reading, he was just looking through Renji’s photoshoot and appreciating every single one of them. Not only was the preview image in the magazine, but there were other photos that highlighted each and every one of Renji’s tattoos.

In majority of the shots, Renji was standing in hip-level water against a black background. Water dripped down his body, his wet hair plastered to his skin as he gave very suggestive bedroom eyes to the camera. Some of the photos had Renji with his usual wolfish grin, others had his lips parted slightly in the same sensual manner as his eyes.

Byakuya unconsciously licked his lips as he flipped the page, the shot displaying Renji’s back tattoos this time. With each shot, he was trying to trace the tattoos with his index finger, and each time, it was as if Renji was goading him on with those sensual eyes and that wild grin. He could almost hear Renji’s voice whispering into his ears, encouraging him to keep on tracing them. Closing his eyes, Byakuya tried to imagine that he was tracing the tattoos on Renji’s body, rather than just on a glossy magazine page. Renji’s skin would feel tough with all his muscles, and warm to the touch. Every touch would leave goosebumps in his wake, he imagined, and as he moved his finger over the tattoos further down, Renji would probably be panting and gasping Byakuya’s name…

Heat pooled in his stomach and before Byakuya even realized, he felt his pants tightening as the blood rushed south. Setting the magazine to the side, he pushed his shirt up and pulled down his pants and boxers, hissing as his cock was exposed to the cool air of his apartment. He hadn’t done this in a long time and just seeing Renji’s photoshoot was enough to make him touch himself now.

Reaching to the bedside table, Byakuya grabbed a small tube of lotion, putting some in his hand. He then lowered his hand to his cock and began stroking it gently, closing his eyes as he gasped in pleasure. He recalled not only the photoshoot, but the concert as well, particularly Renji’s deft fingers sliding up the guitar neck, pushing one of the strings up and down while fretting, and waggling suggestively at the crowd…

God, imagine those fingers on him! Byakuya moaned, thrusting his hips up into his hand as he stroked himself a little harder, his thumb brushing over the slit. He could almost see Renji stroking him with his rough hands, teasing him with his fingers, which promptly brought back the memory of Bazz-B sucking on Renji’s fingers for that music video.

Whimpering as he picked up the pace, Byakuya slid the fingers of his left hand into his mouth, trying to muffle his moans and imagine that he was sucking on Renji’s fingers as Renji got him off. He could almost see Renji leaning above him, watching him with those fervent eyes and licking his lips at such a sight. He stroked himself even more and…

Oh god!

Byakuya cried out as his climax washed over him, his seed shooting out and splattering across his abdomen and on his hand. He shivered slightly as he slowly came down, trying to catch his breath while opening his eyes. As he wiped himself off with some tissues, he sighed in post-climax bliss.

He probably should’ve felt ashamed for jacking off to Renji’s photos, but he wasn’t ashamed. Being with Renji had made him become quite shameless in a lot of ways, it seemed.

Glancing at the time, Byakuya decided to get ready before Renji arrived. Pulling his pants back on, he grabbed a towel and went to the bathroom for a shower.

* * *

Dressed in a pair of dark-wash jeans, a white button-up shirt, and a black blazer, Byakuya had swept his hair into a side ponytail and was just spraying on a light amount of cologne when his phone buzzed with a text from Renji, letting him know that he was waiting outside. Smiling slightly, he put his phone in his pocket and made his way down to the front of the apartment building.

Sure enough, Renji was waiting for him outside. Dressed in black jeans, a maroon tank top with a skull upon it, a black leather jacket, and with his hair in a ponytail, Renji looked casually badass and perfect for a concert like this.

“Yo,” Renji greeted. “You ready?”

“Of course,” Byakuya said. “Do you have the tickets?”

“Sure do,” Renji said.

The concert was happening at the Saitama Super Arena, so the two of them headed to the Ueno Station to take a train down the Utsunomiya line to the Saitama-Shintoshin Station. Once they reached there, they would get an early dinner before heading to the arena, and hopefully beating the long line. The doors would open at six-thirty, but the actual concert wouldn’t start until eight. Even then, it was best to get dinner at around four-thirty or so.

After they reached the Ueno Station, they paid their fee for the train before heading to the platform for the train to Saitama-Shintoshin. As they waited, Renji and Byakuya caught up on a little bit of industry gossip.

“How is the _Hell Verse_ manga?” Byakuya asked.

“It’s really good,” Renji said, smiling. “The story’s interesting, the characters are cool, and the style is really beautiful, to be honest. I can see why Hinamori was happy to join the cast for the anime.”

Byakuya nodded. “Right,” he said. “How is Hinamori doing?”

“She’s doing pretty good,” Renji said. “Though, she’s still trying to get over her jet lag after flying all the way from America.”

“She was in America?”

“Yeah, she was a guest for an anime convention in Minneapolis for three days. I think it was called ‘AniMinneapolis’, or something like that. But yeah, she went to some convention to talk about _Hell Verse_ along with some other voice actors and Aikawa Love himself.”

“Interesting,” Byakuya said thoughtfully.

The train arrived and they boarded along with the other waiting commuters for a quick ride to Saitama. After arriving, Renji and Byakuya left the station to explore the area for a bit before heading to a ramen shop in Keyaki Hiroba, a plaza located close to Saitama Super Arena for dinner.

Sitting at the counter, they gave their orders for ramen, with Renji getting a Hakodate ramen and Byakuya getting Kitakata ramen. Once the server left to prepare their ramen, Renji began speaking.

“You excited to see them?” he asked.

“Yes, actually,” Byakuya said, his eyes softening. “I’ve heard the name Tres Bestias, but I don’t know much about them. Can you tell me about them?”

“Sure thing,” Renji said, smiling slightly. “They’re one of the female groups in Visual-Kei but their sound is more based in power, symphonic, progressive, and melodic death metal, from my understanding, but they like to experiment with different sounds.”

“I see. How’s their music?”

“Their music is pretty good,” Renji said. “Well, if you’re into the more growling kind of metal. Because let me tell you, Halibel has the fiercest death growls ever. Like, she growls like a demon.” He chuckled. “She’d make Zaraki Kenpachi proud.”

Byakuya raised his eyebrows in surprise. Well, this concert was going to be interesting for sure.

Their bowls of ramen were placed in front of them and they began eating. After a mouthful of warm broth, Byakuya glanced at Renji and said, “You know, I saw your photoshoot.”

“Oh?” Renji smiled mischievously. “And? What do you think?”

The blush on Byakuya’s face was enough of an answer and Renji chuckled. “I thought so,” he said teasingly.

Byakuya cleared his throat. “All I can say is that your preview image pales in comparison,” he said, chuckling to himself. “Also, I’d best be on the lookout, just in case anyone gets any ideas.”

Renji laughed lightly. “You have nothing to worry about,” he reassured. Lowering his voice, he whispered in Byakuya’s ear, “I only have eyes for you, babe.”

Again, Byakuya blushed at his husky, suggestive voice whispering in his ear. “Renji, please,” he protested half-heartedly. “Not here.”

This earned another chuckle from Renji.

After they finished their dinner and paid the bill, they started the short walk to Saitama Super Arena. Sure enough, there was already a line beginning to form outside the doors, but it wasn’t too long, fortunately. Getting in line, their ears filled with the excited buzz of other fans chatting all around them.

The Saitama Super Arena was an impressive building. Outside on the electronic sign was an ad for the Tres Bestias concert, and by the entrance was a booth of official merchandise under the name ‘Tiburon’.

“‘Tiburon’...” Byakuya read the katakana displayed on the sign before reading the large kanji characters beneath, which read as ‘Shark Empress’. “That's Spanish, I assume?” he asked.

“Sure is,” Renji said. “They have a lot of Spanish influence in their theme and concept.”

“I see,” Byakuya said, pleasantly surprised. He sighed slightly as he looked up at the large arena. “It’s been a while since I was last here.”

Renji looked at him curiously. “Hisana did a concert here?” he asked.

“No, actually,” Byakuya said, his eyes glinting in mild amusement. “The last time I was here was when I started high school, and I snuck out of the house with Shihouin Yoruichi to see Unohana Yachiru perform here.”

Byakuya had to chuckle when Renji looked at him in a mix of surprise, fascination, and confusion. “Yes, I actually did sneak out to see Unohana Yachiru,” he confirmed. “She was the first concert I attended that wasn’t classical music.”

“Wait, but I thought you said you didn’t like metal music back then?” Renji asked. “Unohana Yachiru does symphonic metal.”

It was Byakuya’s turn to look surprised, albeit mildly. “Oh. I did not know that,” he said. “I just really liked her voice.”

“Yeah, she has a beautiful voice,” Renji agreed. “I’m not a huge fan, but I can see why people like her. But damn, you actually snuck out to a concert? I’m impressed!” His voice was teasing. “Didn’t know you were a rebel back then!”

Renji had to admit, he was pretty impressed to hear that Kuchiki Byakuya, of all people, also had a rebellious phase. Sneaking out to concerts at the Saitama Super Arena? That was quite interesting. And seeing Unohana Yachiru, one of the best metal musicians in the Visual-Kei scene? Well, that was even more impressive. What a way of telling his folks where to stick it!

He paused as that thought crossed his mind and he remembered the events from a few days ago, when Byakuya had been…

“Did… Did your folks find out?” he asked quietly.

Byakuya shook his head. “No, actually,” he said. “They’ve never found out. But believe me, when they found out about me liking Unohana Yachiru’s music, they were less than pleased.”

“Well, I can imagine,” Renji mumbled. After all, her music had a lot of… violent lyrics, in spite of such beautiful, choir-like melodies. To say nothing of most of her music videos as well. Hell, Renji could see why Zaraki Kenpachi loved her music.

Byakuya sighed. “They were furious, actually,” he said. “I had one album by her, and they forced me to give it away or else they’d destroy it.” A tiny smile crossed his face. “Funny thing, Hisana also liked Unohana Yachiru’s music.”

Renji raised an eyebrow at that. Tough girl, liking symphonic metal songs about warfare and bloodshed. But then again, her voice was enough to make people forget that her lyrics are very violent.

“You know, Unohana Yachiru actually married Zaraki Kenpachi,” Renji told him. “They have a kid now, but they’re still pretty popular artists these days. Then again, I’m pretty sure no one would’ve dared try to destroy their careers.”

Byakuya nodded as he remembered Renji telling him about Unohana’s style of music. “You said she does ‘symphonic metal’? What is that?” he asked.

At this point, the doors had already opened and the line was moving. As they entered the stadium and handed their tickets to the usher, Renji explained

“It’s one of the subgenres of metal music,” he began. “It basically combines metal with orchestral classical music, like choirs and sometimes even a full orchestra. The singers are often women who are classically trained, so it’s also called Opera Metal. Unohana Yachiru was actually an opera singer before she joined the Visual-Kei movement, so that’s why she sounds the way she does.”

Byakuya looked fascinated. “It’s a subgenre?” he asked. “How many are there?”

“Lots,” Renji said, smiling slightly. 

Again, Byakuya was surprised. “So, what exactly is your style?” he asked.

Renji looked thoughtful. “Ours? I’d say we’re a mix of industrial, metalcore, hard rock, alternative, stuff like that,” he said.

The stage was located to the far end of the stadium, and there were numerous rows of seats upon the arena floor. Since their seats were towards the stage upon the floor, they made their way over to their assigned row after getting a bottle of water and a program.

As the arena began filling up, Byakuya glanced through the program, reading about the group and learning the names of the members. All four women were quite beautiful, and were dressed in gorgeous, fantasy-like white outfits. Tier Halibel had dark skin, short blonde hair, and blue marks on her face. Emilou Apacci had short black hair and a red pattern over her left eye, along with a white horn headpiece. Cyan Sung-Sun had long dark-green hair, purple dots below her right eye and three white hair clips on the right side. And Franceska Mila Rose was also dark-skinned with a crown-like headpiece upon her brown hair.

It wasn’t long before the arena lights were turned off, prompting the huge crowd to start cheering. An instrumental opening track began to play from the speakers as the screen began playing a montage of ocean-themed clips with a dark overtone. As the music continued playing, the stage lights began to flash and shine out on the cheering crowd. The lights flashed yellow, red, orange, and dark-pink before they stilled to a deep-blue light when the backing band entered the stage and made their way to their instruments.

Then, from beneath the stage rose Halibel, Apacci, Mila Rose, and Sung-Sun, rising from under the stage to the cheering crowd. The three ladies strode gracefully to the front of the stage, holding microphones in their hands. With a note from the guitarist, the chords and rhythm of their first song began to play, much to the crowd’s excitement.

But that was nothing compared to the moment Halibel started her part. 

And then, she started singing in a voice so elegant and graceful, Unohana Yachiru would've been so proud. Her voice had operatic hints to it, and was deep and rich, much like a queen. In fact, even her growls sounded elegant, much to Byakuya's surprise. And he had to wonder just how she didn't destroy her vocal chords in the process. It was fast and powerful and Byakuya hadn't felt so alive.

When the song finished and the entire arena clapped and cheered, Halibel started doing her MC.

“Good evening, Saitama,” Halibel greeted in her cool yet passionate voice. “Let us make tonight a memorable night, shall we?”

The crowd cheered in response.

“Perfect,” Halibel said, a tiny smile on her face. “I like that sound. Now, let’s go crazy, Saitama! Come on!”

Once more, the crowd cheered as the next song started playing, again, with plenty of beautiful singing and aggressive guitars and drums. The music was loud and fast, and both Renji and Byakuya could feel it almost thumping through their bodies. Halibel herself had the voice of an angel and a demon: when she growled, she was fierce and dangerous, and when she sang, she was compassionate and gentle. The other members had equally beautiful voices, of course. Apacci's was melodic, Mila Rose's was low and graceful, and Sung-Sun's was sweet and gentle. But Halibel's voice was what truly stood out.

Towards the end of the show, Halibel announced the last song: ‘Ever Dream’, a song that got the crowd even more excited.

Byakuya didn’t think he’d blinked once at all. This music was absolutely powerful and he was enchanted by how Halibel had been able to switch flawlessly between soulful singing and fierce growling throughout. He didn’t even realize it was close to the end until now.

This song was much more orchestral than the previous ones, which was surprisingly fitting. Then, Halibel began to sing, her voice longing and soothing. Byakuya stayed silent as he listened to the lyrics, completely spellbound.

 _Ever felt away with me  
Just once that all I need  
Entwined in finding you one day  
Ever felt away without me  
My love, it lies so deep  
_ _Ever dream of me_

 _Would you do it with me?  
_ _Heal the scars and change the stars  
_ _Would you do it with me?  
_ _Turn loose the heaven within…_

Such beautiful words… Byakuya felt his heart beating faster as he found himself relating to the lyrics. For so long after Hisana, he'd longed to find someone to fill that lonely void left behind. And when he loved someone, he loved deeply, and Renji was no exception. Renji, who was beginning to heal his wounds and change his world, was definitely no exception.

 _Your beauty cascaded on me  
_ _In this white night fantasy…_

Byakuya’s heart began to ache as the realization of how much he loved Renji hit him. Before he even knew it, his throat closed up and tears filled his eyes. Unconsciously, his grip on Renji’s arm tightened.

Renji was startled at the sudden vice grip on his arm. He glanced at Byakuya only to realize that his attention was still on the stage, but that wasn’t the only thing that caught his attention. Byakuya’s eyes were filled with tears, his lips parted slightly. He looked like he was about to cry any minute now.

Music was fascinating that way, with its ability to reach into one’s soul and make them feel. Even Kuchiki Byakuya was helpless to it, Renji thought.

The concert soon finished and Halibel and the others said their farewells. Once they left the stage, the arena lights came back on as people began leaving the stadium. Renji felt Byakuya’s grip loosening and he gently took his hand and gave it a squeeze before letting go.

“That was pretty awesome, wasn’t it?” Renji asked, giving Byakuya a fond smile.

“Indeed…” Byakuya whispered hoarsely. His eyes were still so sad.

Renji frowned in worry. “Are you alright?” he asked.

“That song…” Byakuya didn’t finish. Instead, he picked up the program and water bottle before hastily leaving the arena.

Renji smiled softly as he followed Byakuya, still pretty amazed at how deeply he was affected. The two of them left the arena and began heading to the station, drawing farther away from the crowd of people. The silence between them was peaceful and much more intimate as they both gradually came down from the high of the concert.

Above, the night sky was dotted with bright stars and a shining crescent moon.

**Author's Note:**

> The Saitama Super Arena seats 37,000 people and is the third-largest indoor arena in the world. Not only is it popular for a lot of concerts (by both Japanese and international artists), but it's a popular venue for Japanese professional wrestling and mixed martial arts.
> 
> The song 'Ever Dream' is actually a song by Nightwish, and it's quite beautiful. Honestly, it's one of the many songs that could possibly be the ByaRen theme song.
> 
> Let me know how I did, especially with the sexy stuff :) Have a good one!


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